Scouring implement



Jan. 5, 1932. D .1. MAYER 1,839,240

SCOURING IMPLEMENT Filed Sept. 28. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' INVENTOR finzP/M ATTORNEY Jan. 5, 1932. MAYER 1,839,240

SCOURING IMPLEMENT Filed Sept. 28, 1928 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 INVENTOR Zanzk/ J Meyer-1' ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PAT DANIEL MAY R, 0F BELLEVILLE, NEW JEnsEY, ASSIGNQR To METAL TEXTI E CORPORATION, OF WEST ORANGE, NEwaEns Y, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND V SGOURING IMPLEMENT Application filed September 28, Serial No. 308 ,9 64.

ported by a holding means as to provide a spirally convolute body adapted to furnish, at the working surfacerthereof, a series of spirally disposed projecting abrading convolutions, ridges or whorls havingareduced clearance spaces therebetween; M

The invention has for a further object; to

provide a spirally convolute body or'mass of.

abrasive metallic fabric formed on a com paratively rigid support ng core or retainer,

whereby the noveldesired convolute oonformation of the body or mass is securely retained against the wear and tear of use; and,

furthermore, to provide a construction where in the metallic fabric is of a kind calculated to provide-a great multiplicity of scraping edges or projections which, by reason of the spirally convolute conformation given tothe mass thereof in the finished article,are-pro jected at the surface of the article in a great variety of angles and directions, so that, in

the use of the article, a very efficient abrading action is obtained no matter what may bethe direction of movement imparted to the article when rubbing a surface to be cleaned therewith. j

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following de tailed description of the same.- 7

The invention is illustrated in the, accompanying drawings, which Figs. 1 to 10 inclusive illustrate materials from which the novel scouring implement' is made and the manner in which said materials are assembled together to produce the novel finished article; and to this end, Fig. 1 shows a length of metallioabrasive fabric of the preferred kind, viz. a length of tubular knit fabric made from metallic wire; Fig. 2 shows how the initial length of fabric isfolded lengthwise on itself to prof vide 'a'suitable bulk thereof; Fig. 3 shows how the retaining core is initially applied to the folded fabric, andhow the corners of the latter are in-turned to produce neat end portions in the finished abrasive body; Fig. t'is a detail cross section on line 4t in'Fig; 3; F ig; 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the, manner which the folded fabric material and the retaining core are intertwi'sted together to produce the. spirally oonvolute form of the finished body interlocked with arid'su'pported by the retaining core; and

FigsQ G to lO in'cl'usive' are sectional views to show various steps in intertwistin'g the abrav "'si've fabric and retaining core together;

Fig. 11 is aside elevation of the finished artlcle in one general shape; and F 1g; 12 1s a face view of the finished article" in another general shape. Similar charactersof reference are employed in all of the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts. V j

' In order to clearly illustrate the ultimate construction and essential characteristics of the finished article embodying theprinciples of the present invention, there is shown in the drawings, in somewhat diagrammatic form, certain steps by which the finished ar tide is evolved, The working head of the article is made from a metallic material, and preferably from a tubular knit metallic fabric comprising knitted metallic material of t angular 'cross-sectional shape, such e. g. as flat ribbon-like copper or other metalli'cwire, such as shown in Kingman Patent No. 1,659,-

977, dated February 21, 1928 although other forms of fabric having a component metallic material to provide abrasive elements may be employed if desired, such, for example, as a knitted or woven textile yarn material carrying a gimping of metallic wire, such as shown in Kingman Patent No. 1,501,784, dated July 15, 1924.

A. length A of tubular knit metallic material, is flattened to provide a rectangular piece of suitable size (as shown in Fig. 1), is folded lengthwise upon itself to furnish an initial mass or body A of substantial thickness (as indicated in Fig. 2). The corners B of the thus folded initial body A are infolded (as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5) to provide tapering closed end-portions C in the finished article, and a core element D of comparatively heavy metallic wire is doubled on itself into the U-shape shown in Fig. 3, and

disposed over. the initial folded body ,in'

len thwise straddling relation thereto.

fter the core element D is thus applied to the initial folded body A, the straddling arms of the core element are mutually intertwisted to form spirals d between which portions of the initial folded body are engaged and held; and at the same time the twisting of the core element arms in turn produces spirally convolute twists, rolls or folds of the initial folded body along the length of the core element, whereby a plurality of spiral abrading ridges E are furnished with alternated or intermediate clearance spaces F of reduced cross-sectional diameter; the operations effecting this result being illustrated more particularly in Figs. 5 to 10 inclusive of the drawings. The resultant convolute twists, rolls or folds forming the abrading ridges E are securely retained and supported by the intertwisted central core D which ex.- tends longitudinally or axially throughout the length of the working head of the finished article, and when using the article displacement or deformation of the abrading ridges E is thus prevented, so that the article will last throughout a long life of usefulness.

Owing to the thickness of the folded initial body A the abrading ridges E will be of substantial bulk, and consequently will each provide a substantial area of contact surface when applied and rubbed over a surface to be scoured. The metallic material making the working head of the article, especially when made of knitted flat copper wire or of a metal gimped textile fabric of the kind above referred to, will provide a great multiplicity of scraping elements formed by loops of the metallic material. Furthermore, owing to the spirally convolute formation of the abrading ridges E, the scraping elements thus formed will be projected in many various directions so that some thereof will always be efliciently presented for their scraping function no matter what the directionof motion of the article may be when rubbed over the surface to be cleaned therewith.

The abrading ridges E will readily attack and scrape away encrustations desired to be removed from a surface undergoing cleaning or scouring operations, while the clearance spaces F intermediate the abrading ridges E will permit of escape of the loosened dirt particles. As a consequence of this mode of construction, the working head of the article is little likely to become filled up or clogged with loosened dirt, and such dirt as may enter the interstices of said working head will not be so tightly wedged or jammed therein, as not to be readily dislodged and washed away by rinsing the article in water. The article may be utilized in either the straight elongated form shown in Fig. 11, ormay be provided in the ring-like form shown in Fig. 12. In either case, an end G ofthe core element may be utilized as a shank for attaching the article to a handle stick (not shown) such as are commonly furnished in connection with disk mops and similar articles; the shank G in such case being in serted and secured in an end of a handle stick or otherwise fastened thereto.

As many changes could be made in the above described construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim 1. A scouring implement comprising in combination, a core formed of a pair of wires intertwisted from end to end, and a flattened tube of metallic fabric, knitted from metal strands, extending along, and held between, said wires and intertwisted therewith to provide a series of spirally convolute abrading ridges having clearance spaces therebetween extending helically along and around said core, the loops of said fabric providing scraping projections where exposed at the surfaces of said abrading ridges.

2. A scouring implement comprising in combination, a core formed of a pair of wires intertwisted from end to end, and a flattened body of metallic fabric having tapering end portions extending along, and held between, said wires and intertwisted therewith to provide a series of spirally convolute abrading ridges having clearance spaces therebetween extending helically along and around said core, the converging end portions of the thus intertwisted body providing the same with tapered ends.

3. A scouring implement comprising in combination, a core formed of a pair of wires intertwistedfrom end to end, and a flattened body of metallicfabric having tapering end portions, knitted from metallic strands; ex-

tending along, and held between, said wires and intertwisted therewith to provide a se ries of spirally convolute abrading ridges extending helically along and around said core, I the loops of said fabric providing scraping.

projections Where exposed at the surfaces of said abrading ridges, and the converging end portions of the thus intertwisted flattened tube providing the same with tapered ends.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set hand this 22nd day of September, 1928.

DANIEL. J. MAYER. 

